Rubber-tire setter.



m. W W. Patented Feb. l2, I90l. R 0 STUTSMAN RUBBER TIRE SETTER.(Application filed July 16, 1897.)

(No Model.)

Bmnin Bezzfien O. ilzismon.

illwrrnn Tarn arnr REUBEN O. STUTSMAN, OF DES MOINES IOlVA, ASSIGNOR TOTHE BARTHOLOMEW COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HUBIER 'HRE SIETTEH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 668,067, datedFebruary 12, 1901.

Application filed July 16, 1897. Serial No. 644,798. 1N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, REUBEN O. STUTSMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ApplyingRubber Tires to Vehicle-Wheels; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating my improved apparatus and themanner of using the same. Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly in section.

A designates a suitable framework or stand, which carries ahorizontally-arianged laterally-projecting spindle or wheel-support B,adapted to support a wheel during the securing of a tire thereto. Odesignates such a wheel, it having a hub c, the spokes o, and the rim 0the latter being provided in its outer face with a groove to receive thetire T.

D D designate two lever-arms, which are fulcrumed on the axle B, beingsecured to sleeves B C, respectively, which sleeves are arrangedconcentrically about the axis of the wheel-support l5 and extend into abearing B on the main frame A. The arms D D are thus arranged betweenthe wheel O and the frame A and are adapted to swing vertically, eachbeing provided at its outer end with a handle portion E and alsosupporting a flanged roller or wheel F. The wheels F are mounted onhorizontal axes parallel to that of the spindle B, they being carried byshafts f, extending through longitudinal slots cl, formed in the arms DD, so that said wheels can be adjusted toward or from the axle B toadapt the apparatus for use with wheels of different sizes.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the wheels are so adjustedthat the periphery of the body portion f thereof will move parallel tothe wheel-rim, and the vertical flange f of said wheels will extendbeyond the edge of said rim on the side adjacent to the leverarms D D.By this construction the body f of said wheels serves to support thetire T While it is being adjusted into position on the wheel (J, and theflange f prevents any lateral movement of the tire in the direction ofthe lever-arms and the frame A. On the arms D D are also mountedauxiliary guide-rollers G, they being arranged to extend at right anglesto the axis of the wheels F and being preferably supported in bracketsI), which extend laterally from said levers. I preferably make thesleeve O, which is placed with in the sleeve B and has the lever-arm Dconnected thereto,of such length that its outer end serves as anabutment against which the inner face of the hub c bears, and to preventlateral movement of the wheel in the opposite direction the lever-arms DD are provided with plates I'I. These are pivotally mounted on thelevers D D' and have their lower inner ends bent to extend across theperiphery of the wheel 0 and also over the outer face or edge of the rimthereof. When in use, said plates are held in position by pins I,projecting from the levers D D" and extending through notches h,formedin the lower edges of the plates H. The plates H also act as guides forthe tire T, the latter being held between said plates and the rollers FG.

The manner of using my improvement, may be briefly stated as follows:The wheel 0 is slipped upon the spindle B. The wheels F are adjusted sothat their flange portion f will extend across the face of the rimadjacent to the levers D D. The tire T is then placed by hand in thelower portion of the groove in the rim of the wheel and the upperportion of said tire slipped over the body portion of said wheels F. Theplates H are then moved into the position shown in Fig. 1, and the tireis then supported against both vertical and lateral movement. Then bymoving the levers toward a vertical position the portion K of the tireis lifted and guided into the groove in the upper portion of the rim ofthe wheel. As the levers D D approach each other the portion of the tirebetween the wheels F which normally occupies a horizontal position willbe stretched sufficiently to be brought into the planes of the wheel-rimand will by its elasticity be drawn into the It will be seen, however,

groove in said rim.

that I do not depend exclusively upon the tire on the opposite side ofthe wheel; subelasticity of the tire to cause it to pass over the edgeof the rim, but that I have provided means for positively moving itlaterally into the groove formed in the periphery of the rim-that is,the wheel or roller G, following each roller F and bearing against thewheelrim, insures that the tire will be properly placed on said rim. Itwill be noticed that the tire is held against movement laterally towardthe operating-levers both by the flange f of the wheels F and therollers G and that the free ends of the plates H prevent any movementthereof laterally in the opposite direction. By swinging the plates Habout their pivots the wheel 0 will be released and can be readilyslipped from the spindle-axle B.

Stoppins L may be provided on the frame A to support the outer ends ofthe levers D D when not in use.

I am aware that prior to my invention it has been proposed to placerubber tires upon vehicle-wheels by means of two levers adapted to swingtoward each other and having means for engaging with the tire; but inthe earlier constructions referred to said levers were carried by a baror plate which had to be first secured in a position upon the hub of thewheel to be operated on, requiring considerable time to place the wheelin position and to remove the apparatus therefrom after the tire hadbeen adjusted. Again, in such earlier construction the wheel was held ina horizontal position, requiring the operator to hold the tire in placein the groove in the rim fora relatively long time, and, again, the tirewas not positively held on both its inner and its outer face, as by myimprovements.

It will be noticed that it is not necessary with my construction toremove the levers D D, but'the mere raising of the guide-plates Hreleases the wheel, and also that the wheels F positively support thetire and prevent it from, becoming disengaged from the lower portion ofthe rim while being adjusted in the upper portion. It will not only bethus seen that in my mechanism the wheel and the levers which supportthe tire carriers are mounted upon the frame independently of eachother, but also that the tire-carriers move as they mutually approach inpaths which are concentric with the wheel-axis, and consequently bringthe tire to its place on the rim in a manner much superior to thatfollowed when the levers are pivot-ed at points eccentric to thewheel-axis.

What I claim is- 1. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires tovehicle-wheels, the combination with a frame or stand having aprojecting Wheelsupporting spindle, two pivotally-mounted lever-arms,two guide-rollers mounted on each of said arms to contact with a tire atone side of a wheel on said spindle, said rollers having their axesarranged at right angles to each other, and means mounted on said armsand adapted to contact with the stantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for placing rubber tires upon vehicle-wheels, thecombination of a stationary horizontal wheel-support or spindle, B, twoarms adapted to rock about the axis of said support, wheels, F, mountedon said arms and adapted to initially support the tire and contact withthe side thereof adjacent to the said arms, and plates, H, pivot-allymounted on said arms and adapted to contact with the opposite face ofthe tire; substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus forapplyingrubbertires to vehicle-wheels, thecombination of a stationary wheel-support, 13, two arms or leversmounted on and adapted to rock about said support, a wheel, F,adjustably mounted on each of said arms on an axis substantiallyparallel to the wheel-support, auxiliary rollers, G, carried by saidarms, and having their axes arranged at right angles to that of thewheels, F, both said wheels and rollers arranged at one side of thewheel on the support, and means carried by the arms for contacting withthe tire on the opposite side of the wheel; substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus forapplyingrubber tires to vehicle-wheels, thecombination of a frame having a laterally-projecting wheel-support, B,two arms mounted on said support between said frame and the wheel to beoperated on and means on said arm for contacting with the opposite sideof the wheel-rim; substantially as set forth.

5. In a mechanism for applying rubber tires to wheel-rims, thecombination of a wheelsupport adapted to hold the wheel properlyrelatively to a central axis, and two movable mutually-approachingtirecarriers moving in paths concentric with the said axis, and eacharranged to force the portion of the tire engaged thereby radially ofthe wheel to the IIO edge of the rim at all points in its path,substantia-lly as set forth.

6. In a mechanism for applying rubber tires to wheel-rims, thecombination of a wheelsupport adapted to hold the wheel properlyrelatively to a central axis, and two vibrating levers each having atire-carrier secured thereto and both pivoted at the axis of thewheel,.whereby the tire-carriers can be caused by said levers to moveconcentrically with the wheel-rim as they approach toward each other, toforce that portion of the tire which is disengaged from the rim to theouter edge of the adjacent portion of the rim, substantially as setforth.

7. In a mechanism for applying rubber tires to wheel-rims, thecombination of a frame, a wheel-holder on said frame adapted to supporta wheel detachably, and two levers pivotally supported upon said frame,independently of the wheel,.and each having a swinging tire-carrier,adapted to guide a tire into position on a wheel mounted on said wheel-'holder,whereby the wheel can be attached to or withdrawn from itssupport independently of any ad justmentof the levers, substantially asset forth.

I11 a mechanism for applying rubber tires to wheel'rims, the combinationof a frame, a horizontal wheel spindle carried by said frame, twoconcentric sleeves fitted about said spindle, a lever connected to eachof said sleeves and arranged to extend between the frame and a wheelsupported upon the spindle, a tire-carrier mounted on each of saidlevers and adapted to engage with the inner face of the tire and tolimit movementof the tire laterally toward the frame, and means on saidlevers for limiting the movement of the tire laterally in the oppositedirection, substantially as set forth.

9. In a mechanism for applying rubber tires to wheel-rims, thecombination of a frame, a wheel-holder on said frame adapted todetachably support a wheel, two levers pivotally supported upon saidframe, independently and at one side of the wheel, and adapted to engagewith and positively force a tire into engagement with the wheel rim, andmeans carried l' said levers for detachably engaging with the oppositeside of the Wheel, to hold the same against movement away from saidlevers while the tire is being applied, substantially as set forth.

10. In a mechanism for applying rubber tires to wheel-rims, thecombination of a horizontal wheel-s u pportin g spindle, a stationaryabutment about said spindle, two levers pivotally supported to rockabout the axis of said spindle, said levers being arranged on the sameside of the wheel as said abutment, means carried by said levers forpositively forcing a tire into position on the wheel-rim, and meanscarried by the levers for detachably connecting the same with the wheeland holding the latter against the aforesaid abutment, substantially asset forth.

11. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to Wheels, the combinationof a support for a wheel, movable tire-adjusting devices arranged toforce a tire radially of the wheel to the outer edge of the rim thereof,and supplemental means moving with said adjusting devices for forcingthe tire laterally across said edge onto the periphery of the rim,substantially as set forth.

1?. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to wheels, the combinationof means for supporting a wheel, two arms pivotally supported to vibrateabout the axis of the wheel, means on each of said levers for engagingwith the inner surface of a tire, and adapted as said levers are movedtoward each other to force a portion of the the radially of the wheel tobring-the inner surface of the tire into the planes of the periphery ofthe wheelrim, and supplemental means carried by each of said arms forhearing against the side surface or face of the tire, in rear of thepoint engaged by said radially-adjusting devices, to force the tirelaterally onto the rim, substantially as set forth.

13. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to wheels, the combinationof a wheelsupport, means for engaging a tire when partially in positionon the wheel, an expanding or stretching device arranged to engage withthat portion of the tire which is disengaged from the rim, and means formoving said expanding or stretching device about the axis of the wheelto force such portion of the tire radially of the wheel and onto theadjacent portion of the rim, substantially as set forth.

14. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to wheels, the combinationof a wheelsupport, and tireadjusting devices mounted to move about theaxis of the wheel to which the tire is to be applied and comprisingguides between which the wheel-rim extends and a tire-expanding roller,independent of said guides, and adapted,as said devices are moved aboutthe wheel-axis, to engage With the portion of the tire that isdisengaged from the rim and force the same radially of the wheel to theperiphery thereof, substantially as set forth.

15. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to wheels, the combinationof a wheel, and tire-adjusting devices mounted to move about the axis ofthe wheel, and comprising means for retaining a tire, which is partiallyengaged with the wheel-rim in position, and means for engaging thedisengaged portion of the tire and moving it radially of the Wheel tothe plane of the outer edge of the wheelrim, substantially as set forth.

16. In an apparatus for applying rubber tires to wheel rims, thecombination of a wheel-support, and means pivotally mounted on saidsupport and situated at one side of a wheel when placed in position onsaid support, said means comprising devices for holding a tire inpartial engagement with the wheel-rim and for moving the disengagedportion of the tire radially of the wheel to the outer edge of the rimthereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN O. STUTSMAN.

Witnesses:

L. W. CANNON, O. T. BLACK.

